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21 Jun Talent Spotter in Focus: The International Rescue Committee

Earlier this year, Wedu partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a Talent Spotter. The IRC “responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster.” Here’s the IRC’s Senior Grants and Program Coordinator, Oranutt Narapruet on Wedu’s partnership with the IRC:

IRC Senior Grants and Program Coordinator, Ms. Oranutt Narapruet with two other members of the IRC at Wedu’s Bangkok Hang Out.

“What stood out about Wedu for us was its genuine passion and commitment to empowering disadvantaged young women. Wedu doesn’t just want to grant scholarships – which is easy to do and it is what many organizations already offer; it wants to raise young women up from the very roots of their obstacles, which is usually their low self-confidence due to the many inhibiting factors in their lives. Wedu recognizes this above all else, and this is what makes the IRC want to partner with them. Without inherent hope and self-belief, which is achieved through Wedu’s mentoring program, we’ve seen time and time again that young women will only push themselves so far, and not to their full potential. The IRC works with some of the most marginalized and vulnerable young women in the world (migrants and refugees), who were forced to leave everything they knew behind to try and find their feet again in a different country, whose society doesn’t necessary accept them. It’s unimaginable for most of us. But with Wedu’s human touch and personal approach to their Rising Stars, we believe that the young women we work with can also rise – and for that, we are grateful.

I think Wedu and the IRC can achieve great feats together for the displaced community in Thailand and elsewhere. Following our pilot collaboration, I believe we can expand to reach more young women in increasingly difficult geographical areas, not only to change their lives, but also the lives of their families and their communities. The ripple effect from one talented young leader can have immeasurable social impact. Eventually, the IRC and Wedu can work to change cultural perceptions of young women’s ‘roles’ in society, which is still one of the biggest barriers to their success.

The IRC can provide Wedu with access to young women from different vulnerable populations in different locations, as well as offer contextual guidance and insight into very complex social conditions, while Wedu can do what it does best – give hope to our young beneficiaries and a chance for them to thrive in a future that many could only dream of.”